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Concept album
Early version of Wikipedia: List of concept albums included: Usually, in popular music (WP), an album of an artist or group simply consists of a number of songs that the members of the group or the artist have written or have chosen to cover. In a concept album, on the other hand, all songs contribute to a single effect or unified story. What may have been the first example of a concept album of any form was Little Deuce Coupe (WP), which features 12 songs, each one about about America's automobile culture. Three years later, Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (WP) created an odd farce about rock music as a whole with Freak Out! (WP) The album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (WP) by The Beatles (WP) is popularly considered to have been the first concept album; for this album, the members of the band were each supposed to adopt a fictionalized persona, and the title song, styled as the theme song of the fictional "Lonely Hearts Club Band", wraps around the rest of the album like bookends. While in terms of the history of the art, Pepper's is an early form of concept album, following close behind the evolution of art is the evolution of art criticism, and with hindsight we know better. Most of the songs on the album are unrelated to the theme, and the fictional characters have little life beyond the introduction on the first track. There is thus some debate over whether Sgt. Pepper really qualifies as a true concept album, although its reputation as such helped in spreading the idea of concept albums. Perhaps it is best to think of Sgt Pepper's as an experiment with world building (WP) along the road to epic Middle Earths like Animals (WP) and 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) (WP). '' (WP) album cover]] Two albums that could be considered generally accepted candidates are S.F. Sorrow by the Pretty Things (WP), which tells the life-story of the eponymous character, and Days Of Future Passed (WP)'' (WP) by The Moody Blues (WP), which combines the acoustic instrumentation of the Moodys with the orchestral interludes of the London Festival Orchestra to document a typical "everyman's day". Both these albums were released in the same year (1967 (WP)) as "Sgt. Pepper". The concept album, as a concept, at times overlaps with rock opera (WP) and to some extent with rock musical (WP). Concept albums are especially common in the progressive rock (WP) genre. For classical music (WP) that tells a story, or evokes a concrete idea, see Program Music (WP). An extension of the concept album idea can be seen in a series of albums which all contribute to a single effect or unified story. This was the original plan behind the first four albums by King Crimson (WP), which all were related to the four elements (WP) of occidential (WP) mythology (WP). These are In the Court of the Crimson King (WP) for the Air Element, In the Wake of Poseidon (WP) for the Water Element, Lizard (WP) for the Fire Element and Islands (WP) for the Earth element. Some other concept albums include: * The 600 Second Miracle (WP) - Bert Tenzer (WP) (early 1960s) - An obscure record telling the story of mankind in exactly 600 seconds. * Little Deuce Coupe (WP) - The Beach Boys (WP) (1963) - various car related songs explain America's car culture * Beach Boys' Party! (WP) - The Beach Boys (WP) (1965) - A simulation of a party with the Beach Boys and their friends. * Pet Sounds (WP) - The Beach Boys (WP) (1966) - a somewhat autobiographical work about love and life * Freak Out! (WP) - Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention (WP) (1966) - questioning the conventions of rock music and offering alternatives * SMiLE (WP) - The Beach Boys (WP) - A 'teenage symphony to God'. (NOT RELEASED) * After Bathing At Baxter's (WP) - Jefferson Airplane (WP) (1967) - An attempt to catch the psychedelic experience in music * The Story of Simon Simopath (WP) - Nirvana (WP) (1967) - A boy's wish to fly * Cosmic Sounds (WP) - The Zodiac (WP) (1967) - sign-by-sign musical interpretation of the signs of the horrorscope * Axis: Bold As Love (WP) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (WP) (1967) - the tale of one man's journey back to earth and what he encounters on another turn of the earth's axis; primarily love * The Who Sell Out (WP) - The Who (WP) (1967) - A pirate radio station that plays only Who music * Their Satanic Majesties Request (WP) - The Rolling Stones (WP) (1967) - A parody of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album. * In Search of the Lost Chord (WP) - The Moody Blues (WP) (1968) - A search for spiritual fulfillment * The Village Green Preservation Society (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1968) - A call to return to the old ways of living * We're Only in It For the Money (WP) - Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention (WP) (1968) - satire with both hippie culture and the establishment in its sights. * S.F. Sorrow (WP) - The Pretty Things (WP) (1968) - A man goes insane * Tommy (WP) - The Who (WP) (1969) - A deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard brings salvation * Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1969) - A middle-aged man gradually loses touch with society * To Our Children's Children's Children (WP) - The Moody Blues (WP) (1969) * Lola Vs. Powerman (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1970) - Ray Davies (WP)' psychosis and his distrust of the music industry * Edmundo Lopez (WP) - Coupla Prog (WP) (1970) - describes the story of an imaginary boy living in an unspecified South American country, and his experiences in trying to survive in hiding during civil war. * Blows Against the Empire (WP) - Paul Kantner (WP) & Jefferson Starship (WP) (1970) - The story of a group of people who steal a starship from the elite and found a utopia elsewhere * Plastic Ono Band (WP) - John Lennon (WP) (1970) * 666 (WP) - Aphrodite's Child (WP) (1970) Deals with the end of the world with elements from the Book of Revelations but with an unusual psychedelic interpretation. * Escalator over the Hill (WP) - Carla Bley (WP) (1971) * Death of a Country (WP) - Bang (WP) (1971) - About the various ways in which the American dream is crumbling due to disregard for the environment and each other. * Muswell Hillbillies (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1971) - Down-and-out North Londoner (WP)s express their disillusionment, paranoia, and dreams of a better life in a better place upon being relocated out of Muswell Hill (WP) when the gritty neighborhood was rebuilt following extensive damage by bombing in World War II (WP). * Edge of Time (WP) - DOM (WP) (1971) - A sonic and poetic journey depicting the band's impressions after a lengthy experience with DOM STP, a potent psychedelic drug. * Magic Theatre (WP) - Drum Circus (WP) (1971) - A musical attempt to guide the listener through various stages of the spiritual quest for enlightenment. * Three Parts To My Soul (WP) - Dr. Z (WP) (1971) - Examines the philosophical idea that the soul has three parts covering different functions of awareness, all tied in with notions of the ultimate hopelessness of hope for redemption. * What's Going On (WP) - Marvin Gaye (WP) (1971) - Urban turmoil and changing times; the first album from a Motown (WP) artist that wasn't just a collection of singles * Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven (WP) - Daddy Cool (WP) (1971) - A lighthearted look at the trials and tribulations required of a young lad in attempting to satisfy his requirements of those 3 things; inner gatefold had a comic strip which expanded on the concept * Aqualung (WP) - Jethro Tull (WP) (1971) - Criticism of organized religion for breaking people's personal relationship with God * Thick as a Brick (WP) - Jethro Tull (WP) (1972) - One long musical track written around a poem by a fictitious child prodigy. * Fetus (WP) - Franco Battiato (WP) (1972) - About potential people who are never born due to contraception, as well as unwanted children who are born. * Three Friends (WP) - Gentle Giant (WP) (1972) - Three old friends reminisce about their days as schoolchildren * Impressions on Reading Aldous Huxley (WP) - Brave New World (WP) (1972) - Instrumental music inspired by Huxley's more 'esoteric' writings. * Pictures at an Exhibition (WP) - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (WP) (1972) - Each song describes a picture; adapted from original composition by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky (WP) * The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars (WP) - David Bowie (WP) (1972) - story of a Martian Messiah, Savior and rock star named Ziggy Stardust * Seven Up (WP) - Ash Ra Tempel with Timothy Leary (WP) (1972) - a musical interpretation of Leary's ideas about the stages of consciousness, from base awareness to enlightenment and cosmic integration a rare chance to hear Leary try to sing like a rock god! * Ennea (WP) - Chase (WP) (1972) - not the whole thing is a concept album, but a lot of it is about various Greek gods. * Obscured By Clouds (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1972) - tells the story of a woman who goes on a trip into a jungle in search of rare bird feathers in a an uncharted areas marked on maps as "Obscured by clouds." Along the way she becomes galvanized with the beliefs and ceremonies of the natives. * A Passion Play (WP) - Jethro Tull (WP) (1973) - A man dies and comes back to Earth to help the people he loves * Berlin (WP) - Lou Reed (WP) (1973) - A tale of a drug abusing couples' doomed romance * Dark Side of the Moon (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1973) - The various influences that can drive one mad * The Six Wives of King Henry VIII (WP) - Rick Wakeman (WP) (1973) - One instrumental piece about each wife * Quadrophenia (WP) - The Who (WP) (1973) - Four personalities in one alienated mod * Tales from Topographic Oceans (WP) - Yes (WP) (1973) - This concept album is based on the four part Hindu Shastric scriptures * Desperado (WP) - The Eagles (WP) (1973) - Old western outlaws * Documents of Captivity (WP) - Thunderpussy (WP) (1973) - An examination in 'documents' of the traps and pitfalls humankind create for themselves in the passage of their lives, as well as the possibility of releasing one's self from them. * Preservation Act 1 (WP), Preservation Act 2 (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1973, 1974) - The rise of a greedy developer and his fall at the hands of a moralizing dictator, set in and around a quaint English village. '' (WP) - Genesis (WP) (1974)]] * The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (WP) - Genesis (WP) (1974) - A young man gets the opportunity to fix his past mistakes * Planet of Man (WP) - Code III (WP) (1974) - follows the history of humanity, beginning with the earth preceding humans, building to a climax/crisis of confusion and hatred, the destruction of the human race, and the re-emergence of new life from the primal goop. * The Power and the Glory (WP) - Gentle Giant (WP) (1974) * Diamond Dogs (WP) - David Bowie (WP) (1974) - Adapted from 1984 (WP) by George Orwell (WP) * Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (WP) - Robert Calvert (WP) (1974) - Satirical take on the crash-prone Lockheed F-104 "Starfighter" fighter planes sold to West Germany * The Boy From the Star (WP) - Jim Keays (WP) (1974) - ex-Master's Apprentices singer turns spaceman to tell the tale of an extraterrestrial who comes to earth warning us to change our ways, and encouraging us to make our world a better place. * Lies To Live By (WP) - Spirit of Christmas (WP) (1974) - Looks at the ways in which we are deceieved en masse by cultural conditioning. * Journey to the Center of the Earth (WP) - Rick Wakeman (WP) (1974) - Adapted from Journey to the Center of the Earth (WP) by Jules Verne (WP) * Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (WP) - Rick Wakeman (WP) (1975) - Adapted from the legends of King Arthur (WP) * Radioactivity (WP) - Kraftwerk (WP) (1975) - Broadcast communications * Schoolboys in Disgrace (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1975) - childhood in the 1950s * Soap Opera (WP) - The Kinks (WP) (1975) - ordinary people's dreams of stardom * Wish You Were Here (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1975) - Former band member Syd Barrett (WP)'s decline into insanity, and the trials of stardom * Tales of Mystery and Imagination (WP) - Alan Parsons Project (WP) (1975) - Adapted from various writings by Edgar Allan Poe (WP) * Red Headed Stranger (WP) - Willie Nelson (WP) (1975) - A preacher who has fallen from grace * Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy (WP) - Elton John (WP) (1975) - Elton John and Bernie Taupin (WP) describe their rise to stardom * Too Old to Rock And Roll, Too Young to Die (WP) - Jethro Tull (WP) (1975) - Nostalgia of a rocker who has reached his late fifties * Lucky Leif & the Longships (WP) - Robert Calvert (WP) (1975) - semi-humorous look at the fact that Vikings 'discovered' N. America before Columbus. * The Snow Goose (WP) - Camel (WP) (1975) - Concerns a goose in World War II (WP), based on a novella by Paul Gallico (WP) * The Prince of Heaven's Eyes (WP) - Fruupp (WP) (1975 (WP)) - The whimsical adventures of a young man who decides to leave his home in a small Irish village. * Welcome to My Nightmare (WP) - Alice Cooper (WP) (1975) * Hotel California (WP) - The Eagles (WP) (1976) - Temptation and the loss of innocence in the pursuit of celebrity * Mothership Connection (WP) - Parliament (WP) (1976) - A messianic figure named Starchild comes to earth on a Mothership to bring the Funk to humanity * Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (WP) - Alice Cooper (WP) (1976) - Alice Cooper goes to hell * In Search of Ancient Gods (WP) - Absolute Elsewhere (WP) (1976) - Instrumental music intended to depict various examples of theories of Erich Von Daniken regarding ancient extraterrestrial visitors; came with a booklet full of texts summarising these ideas. * A Life (WP) - Alpha-Omega (WP) (1976) - Follows the life of a man from birth to death. * Backdoor Possibilities (WP) - Birth Control (WP) (1976) - Follows the lives of a 9-5 everyman and looks into the possibilities he could be exploring in life outside of conformity. * Animals (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1977) - Oppression, its perpetrators and victims. Loosely, the victims of propaganda are represented by sheep, the government and its lackeys by dogs, the rich and other moral degenerates, (such as those that label the natural act of sex, evil - Mary Whitehouse (WP)) as pigs * I, Robot (WP) - Alan Parsons Project (WP) (1977) - Based on the robot (WP) stories of Isaac Asimov (WP) * Hope (WP) - Klaatu (WP) (1977) - the sole survivor of an arrogant race tries to make amends (WP)]] (WP) * Bat Out of Hell (WP) - Meat Loaf (WP) and Jim Steinman (WP) (November 1977) - rock opera with scenes loosely from gang (WP) and biker (WP) culture * One Nation Under a Groove (WP) - Funkadelic (WP) (1978) - imaginary nation ruled by Funkiness * From the Inside (WP) - Alice Cooper (WP) (1978) - Based on Cooper's experience in an asylum * Here, My Dear (WP) - Marvin Gaye (WP) (1978) - A description of the circumstances that led to Marvin's divorce. By the divorce settlement, the royalties went to the ex-wife. '(This isn't entirely accurate- any more information?)' * The War of the Worlds (WP) - Jeff Wayne (WP) (1978) - songs based on H.G. Wells (WP)'s classic novel of Martian (WP) invasion, The War of the Worlds (WP) * Uncle Jam Wants You (WP) - Funkadelic (WP) (1979) - a militant call to action to create the nation in One Nation Under a Groove (WP)'s The Wall (WP) (1979) is one of the best-known concept albums of all time. Pictured is Roger Waters (WP) leading a 1990 performance of the whole album]] * The Wall (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1979) - A rock star becomes alienated from his friends, family and fans, and seals himself behind a metaphorical wall * Slow Train Coming (WP) - Bob Dylan (WP) (1979) Dylan's documented period of exploring his Christianity (WP) * Joe's Garage (WP) - Frank Zappa (WP) (1979) (Originally released as two separate albums; Act I and Acts II/III) - follows "Joe," the prototypical rock-star wannabee, as he wastes his life pursuing a false dream, sinking to degrading new lows in self-esteem... * Eve (WP) - Alan Parsons Project (WP) (1979) - Woman's overpowering effect on man * Movies (WP) - Holger Czukay (WP) (1979) - Looks at the nostalgia invoked by old films and the myth of Hollywood. * Eskimo (album) (WP) - The Residents (WP) (1979) - Eskimo culture. * The Turn of a Friendly Card (WP) - Alan Parsons Project (WP) (1980) - Gambling is used as a metaphor for life * Gideon (WP) - Kenny Rogers (WP) (1980) - The tragic life of a fictitious cowboy * The Electric Spanking of War Babies (WP) - Funkadelic (WP) (1981) - the title refers to the Vietnam War (WP) and the media's role in it; album concerns unFunkiness (see P-Funk mythology (WP)) * (Music from) The Elder (WP) - KISS (WP) (1981) - Album of music for an unproduced musical finds a hero searching for and killing an elf * 1984 (WP) - Rick Wakeman (WP) (1981) - Adapted from 1984 (WP) by George Orwell (WP) * Paradise Theater (WP) - Styx (WP) (1981) - Chicago (WP)'s Old Paradise (WP) theater's destruction is a metaphor for the destruction of America * Nude (WP) - Camel (WP) (1981) - A World War II (WP) veteran who was stranded on an island alone is rescued; he can not cope with life in society and returns to the island * Eye in the Sky (WP) - Alan Parsons Project (WP) (1982) - Concerns the loss of individuality in modern society * Yes Sir I Will (WP) - Crass (WP) (1983) - album consists of a single 40 minute track critique of UK (WP) government policy regarding the Falklands War (WP) * The Final Cut (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1983) - "A Requiem for the Post-War Dream" - the disappointment of a soldier who returns from World War II (WP) * Kilroy Was Here (WP) - Styx (WP) (1983) - The story of the last rock star after rock music is banned * Zen Arcade (WP) - Hüsker Dü (WP) (1984) - A coming-of-age story about a young man who runs away from home. * The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (WP) - Roger Waters (WP) (1984) - A man dreams of adultery * Ride the Lightning (WP) - Metallica (WP) (1984) - Explores death (WP) and dying from different point of views. Including suicide (WP) and being executed (WP) followed Orwell's world as closely as the film, given different mediums]] * 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) (WP) - Eurythmics (WP). Arguably album projects which follow the script of movies closely are engaged in a different enterprise than concept album creators, but end product is similar * The Chronicle of the Black Sword (WP) - Hawkwind (WP) (1985) - Based on the "Elric (WP)" novels of Michael Moorcock (WP) * Misplaced Childhood (WP) - Marillion (WP) (1985) - A man recovers the innocence of his childhood * White City: A Novel (WP) - Pete Townshend (WP) (1985) - The story of a poor outcast * Le Parc (WP) - Tangerine Dream (WP) (1985) - Each composition is about a specific park * The Queen is Dead (WP) - The Smiths (WP) (1986) - The end of the British Empire (WP) footnoted as a lament in mock empathy (WP) * Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records (WP) - Chumbawamba (WP) (1986) - An album length critique of the then current Live Aid (WP)/Band Aid (WP) phenomena. * Master of Puppets (WP) - Metallica (WP) (1986) - Generally about power and control * Abigail (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1987) - A pregnant woman is possessed * Radio KAOS (WP) - Roger Waters (WP) (1987) - A man rescues his brother and saves the world * Never Mind the Ballots... (WP) - Chumbawamba (1987) - The anarchist (WP) arguments against voting released just before the 1987 UK (WP) general election (WP). * Cluthing at Straws (WP) - Marillion (WP) (1987) - A lonely author seeking inspiration from alcohol * Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (WP) - Iron Maiden (WP) (1988) - The story of a man with psychic powers. * Operation: Mindcrime (WP) - Queensrÿche (WP) (1988) - A young man disillusioned by American society joins an underground terrorist (WP) organisation. * Them (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1988) - The story of a crazy grandmother (sequel to Abigail) * Imaginos (WP) - Blue Öyster Cult (WP) (1988) - A supernatural entity wanders through history and impacts various world events * The Commercial Album (WP) - The Residents (WP) (1980) - Compares commercial jingles and pop music. * Conspiracy (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1989) - Another story about the insane grandmother (sequel to Them) * Iron Man (WP) - Pete Townshend (WP) (1989) - Adapted from a story by Ted Hughes (WP) * Rhythm Nation 1814 (WP) - Janet Jackson (WP) (1989) - A song cycle on heroism attempting to conquer the tragic social issues of the day * The Eye (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1990) - About the French Inquisition (WP) and witchcraft (WP) * Songs for Drella (WP) - Lou Reed (WP) & John Cale (WP) (1990) - A tribute to Andy Warhol (WP) * Slap! (WP) - Chumbawamba (1990) - A celebration of working class heroes and ordinary peoples' resistance. * Dust and Dreams (WP) - Camel (WP) (1991) - Adapted from The Grapes of Wrath (WP) by John Steinbeck (WP) * Into The Light (WP) - Gloria Estefan (WP) (1991) - Deals in part with bouncing back from near tragedy * Amused to Death (WP) - Roger Waters (WP) (1992) - A sequel to The Final Cut (WP) by Pink Floyd (WP) (Waters' former group) * Magic and Loss (WP) - Lou Reed (WP) (1992) - Growing old and dying, written in honor of two departed friends * Night of the Stormrider (WP) - Iced Earth (WP) (1992) - A man who is betrayed by religion turns away from it in anger. The dark forces of nature reach out to this enraged man and use him as their vessel to bring death and destruction to Earth * Psychoderelict (WP) - Pete Townshend (WP) (1993) * The Crimson Idol (WP) - W.A.S.P. (WP) (1993) - The story of a kid that goes insane * The Downward Spiral (WP) - Nine Inch Nails (WP) (1994) Trent Reznor (WP)'s descent into depression * Brave (WP) - Marillion (WP) (1994) - A runaway girl's battle to keep hope alive * The Songs Of Distant Earth (WP) - Mike Oldfield (WP) (1994) - Music inspired by the book by Arthur C. Clarke (WP) * The Division Bell (WP) - Pink Floyd (WP) (1994) - Concepts of communication. * Outside (WP) - David Bowie (WP) (1995) - A detective, Nathan Adler, investigates the murder of a young girl * Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (WP) - Raekwon (WP) (1995) - The story of a Cuban gangster * Dead Winter Dead (WP) - Savatage (WP) (1995) - A Serb boy and Muslim girl fall in love in war-torn Sarajevo (WP) * Obsolete (WP) - Fear Factory (WP) (1995) - The future is a Wellesish 1984 in which machines rule and the government controls * Wolfheart - Moonspell (WP) (1995) - a gothic tale * Dark Saga (WP) - Iced Earth (WP) (1996) - It tells the story of the comic book Spawn (WP), in which a man dies and goes to hell (WP). He sells his soul in order to return to his true love on Earth. But he soon discovers that she is married to his own best friend. He is left completely alone in the world, and although he has good inside, he is influenced by dark forces. * Antichrist Superstar (WP) - Marilyn Manson (WP) (1996) The return of Beelzebub (WP) "I am the hydra/ Now you'll see your star." * Christmas Eve and Other Stories (WP) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (WP) (1996) - An angel is sent to earth to find the good of Christmas day * Pinkerton (WP) - Weezer (WP) (1996) - Album with several songs based on an adaptation of Madame Butterfly * The Graveyard (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1996) - A man seeks revenge against the town mayor * Harbour of Tears (WP) - Camel (WP) (1996) - The story of a group of Irish (WP) immigrants to the United States (WP), the forefathers of guitarist Andrew Latimer (WP) * Somewhere Out in Space (WP) - Gamma Ray (WP) (1997) - A science-fiction (WP) adventure based on 2001: A Space Odyssey (WP) * OK Computer (WP) - Radiohead (WP) (1997) - In an Orwellian 1984-ish society, each song documents a narrator's experience within the world. * When The Red King Comes (WP) - Elf Power (WP) (1997) - A Tolkien (WP)-like fantasy world. * In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (WP) - Neutral Milk Hotel (WP) (1997) - Songs based on the life of Anne Frank. * La Masquerade Infernale (WP) - Arcturus (WP) (1997) - "Dedicated to the Perilous Quest of the Faustian (WP) Spirit" * Voodoo (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (1998) - People move to Louisiana (WP) and become involved in voodoo (WP) * My Arms, Your Hearse (WP) - Opeth (WP) (1998) - A dead man contemplates his lover mourning him * RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo (WP) - RZA (WP) (1998) * Nightfall in Middle-Earth (WP) - Blind Guardian (WP) (1998) - Adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien (WP)'s The Silmarillion (WP) (Specifically, the Quenta Silmarillion (WP)) * Into the Electric Castle (WP) - Ayreon (WP) (1998) - Several people from different times and place are placed in a strange place, the "Electric Castle" * Electro-shock Blues (WP) - Eels (WP) (1998) - A story of death and a funeral, and the love that arose from it. * The Salesman and Bernadette (WP) - Vic Chesnutt (WP) (1998) - A salesman is reacquainted with a past love and spirals down into self-pity and self-loathing * Wormwood: Curious Stories from the Bible (WP) - The Residents (WP) (1998) - A collection of the more disturbing stories from the Bible. * Bright Apocalypse (WP) - Stuart Davis (WP) (1999) Depicts the spiritual life of one who loses his traditional faith and embraces a more subtle, nondual divinity. * Flower Power (WP) - The Flower Kings (WP) (1999) * Return to the Center of the Earth (WP) - Rick Wakeman (WP) (1999) - Sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth * Dark Hallucinations (WP) - Steel Prophet (WP) (1999) - Partly based on the novel Fahrenheit 451 (WP) by Ray Bradbury (WP) * Scenes From A Memory (WP) - Dream Theater (WP) (1999) - Past life regression and murder discovery * Love And The Russian Winter (WP) - Simply Red (WP) (1999) - Love stories set in a world in a time of transition into the new millennium (the "Russian Winter" of the album's title) * Time Machines (WP) - Coil (WP) (1999) - An attempt to induce astral time travelling through tonal music, inspired by various psychedelic compounds which the tracks are named. * The Gay Parade (WP) - Of Montreal (WP) (1999) - A collection of songs describing a variety of surreal characters marching in a parade. * The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (WP) - Ben Folds Five (WP) (1999) - A narcoleptic confronts his redneck past and relives his regrets * The Millennium Bell (WP) - Mike Oldfield (WP) - Each track inspired by various important events throughout world history. * House of God (WP) - King Diamond (WP) (2000) * Lifehouse (WP) - Pete Townshend (WP) (2000) - The Who (WP) * Beethoven's Last Night (WP) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (WP) (2000) - Mephistopheles (WP) comes for Beethoven (WP)'s soul one night * Magica (WP) - Dio (WP) (2000) - A fantasy (WP)-adventure * Haunted (WP) - Poe (WP) (2000) - chronicles the singer's emotional journey as she comes to terms with her relationship with her late father. Also ties into the novel House of Leaves (WP) written by her brother, Mark Z. Danielewski (WP). * MACHINA/The Machines of God (WP) - The Smashing Pumpkins (WP) (2000) - A rock star believes he hears the voice of God in the radio and decides to spread his message despite its cost on his love, his career and himself. * MACHINA II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music (WP) - The Smashing Pumpkins (WP) (2000) - A free, downloadable companion piece to MACHINA (WP). * Kid A (WP) - Radiohead (WP) (2000) - Homicidal genetically-engineered monstrosities (which represent capitalist exploitation) are let loose upon a complacent and denial-filled society. * I am not a Freemdoom (WP) - Masters of the Hemisphere (WP) (2000) - The island of Krone Ishta, populated by many lake-dwelling creatures, is invaded by an evil dog named Freemdoom who drains the lakes in order to force the inhabitants to buy air-lungs, made in Freemdoom's factory. Mal and Ed, two native islanders attempt to stop him, but their plan backfires as Freemdoom grafts his henchman Gorgar's head onto Ed's body. * Winners Never Quit (WP) - Pedro the Lion (WP) (2000) - A tale of two brothers, one -- the family favorite -- is lead into politics and eventually murders his wife who was going to release information that would end his career. * Amnesiac (WP) - Radiohead (WP) (2001) - Kid A (WP) narrator returns from death, and puts together his past life piece by piece. * Light of Day, Day of Darkness (WP) - Green Carnation (WP) (2001) - A single hour-long song of somewhat obscure meaning, involving enlightenment and the journey of life. * Southern Rock Opera (WP) - The Drive By Truckers (WP) (2001) - A two-disc concept album alternately based on the life and death of Lynyrd Skynyrd and one man's journey through growing up in the South between the 60s and today. * Strange Little Girls (WP) - Tori Amos (WP) (2001) - Traditionally masculine songs redone from a feminine point of view * Setting Sons (WP) - The Jam (WP) (2001) - Three childhood friends meet again and discuss their lives * Leitmotif (WP) - Dredg (WP) (2001) - A man travels to different cultures to cure his spiritual affliction. * Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse (WP) - Of Montreal (WP) (2001) - A fairy-like creature named Coquelicot falls asleep and dreams of a strange world in which various characters travel to a remote island and populate it with fantastical genetically-modified animals. * Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (WP) - Dream Theater (WP) (2002) - The various stages, actions, and moods of depression and insanity. * Scarlet's Walk (WP) - Tori Amos (WP) (2002) - A woman goes on a trip across America to discover its past, its present and future * El Cielo (WP) - Dredg (WP) (2002) - Booklet contains letters written by sufferers of sleep disorders; most of the songs on the album revolve around the subject of sleep. * Creatures (WP) - Elf Power (WP) (2002) * Remedy Lane (WP) - Pain of Salvation (WP) (2002) live with a group of people in a communal (WP) environment * Control (WP) - Pedro the Lion (WP) (2002) - A woman is lead insane by her husband's infidelity. A a physical fight between the two towards the end of the album leads to the man receiving a fatal stab wound. * Snow (WP) - Spock's Beard (WP) (2002) - An outcast teenager transforms into a messianic figure * Demon Hunter (WP) - Demon Hunter (WP) (2002) * Tallahassee (WP) - The Mountain Goats (WP) (2002) - Couple from John Darnielle's "Alpha..." song cycle move to Tallahassee, Fla. to try to save their relationship. Disaster ensues. * Truthless Heroes (WP) - Project 86 (WP) (2002) * Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (WP) - The Flaming Lips (WP) (2002) A Japanese girl attempts to save a city from destructive pink robots. * Demons Dance Alone (WP) - The Residents (WP) (2002) - The Resident's reaction to 9/11. * Hail to the Thief (WP) - Radiohead (WP) (2003) - A sharp critique of US policy, especially regarding the War on Terror and the restriction of various freedoms to try to counteract terrorism as a whole * De-Loused in the Comatorium (WP) - The Mars Volta (WP) (2003) - A man tries to commit suicide via morphine (WP) overdose, but ends up in a week long coma laden with visions of humanity and himself. Upon waking, he decides to die. * In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (WP) - Coheed and Cambria (WP) (2003) - A story of love and war in a post-apocalyptic Earth. * Take Me To Your Leader (WP) - King Geedorah (WP) (2003) - MF Doom (King Geedorah) offers a biography of the Godzilla nemesis. * ''Taste the Secret (WP) - Ugly Duckling (WP) (2003) - The humorous trials and tribulations of the employees of an all-meat fast food joint, Meatshake and their competetor, Veggie Hut. * Mount Eerie (WP) - The Microphones (WP) (2003) - The idea of human life in stages -- birth, life, death, and rebirth -- as told through the story of a man's journey to a mountain, the environment that overwhelms him, and his overcoming of it. *"Damnation and a Day (WP)" - Cradle of Filth (WP) (2003)- "Satan's side of the story" * Bell (WP) - Stuart Davis (WP) (2003) - Traces the life of an American girl who is an incarnation of God. * The Raven (WP) - Lou Reed (WP) (2003) - Based on the poems and short stories of Edgar Allen Poe (WP) * Thirteenth Step (WP) - A Perfect Circle (WP) (2003) - The twelve steps of recovery from drug/alcohol addiction. * A Grand Don't Come For Free (WP) - The Streets (WP) (2004) - Mike Skinner (WP) finds and loses love, and loses and finds a thousand quid. See also * Album era (WP) * List of concept albums (WP) References Citations * Barker 2015 * * * * * |ref=harv}} * * * * * * |isbn=978-0-394-55061-9|ref=harv}} * * |ref=harv}} * * Further reading * * Category:Concept albums Category:Album types Category:Compositions by musical form Category:Cycles (music) Cycle Category:Vocal musical compositions Category:Song cycles Category:Albums Category:Musical composition Category:Musical form Category:Music Category:Music theory Category:Elements of music Category:Structure Category:Form Category:Recorded music Category:Sound recording Category:Music media